Alloy Wheel Refurbs in this Area – By Rim Tech

Alloy wheel refurbishment is best done by a professional agent (like our good selves ;-). When a professional refurbishes your alloy wheels, the tyres will be completely removed from the wheels. The wheel will be completely stripped of the existing finish and this must be done prior to any other work starting. This ensures the ultimate adhesion of the new finish of your damaged alloy wheels. This also ensures ALL the damages are repaired. A chemical solution approved for stripping the alloy wheels is used so there is no worry about damage to the wheels.

The damages on your wheels, such as any scuffs and scrapes, will be thoroughly inspected and marked for repair. If there is only a very light scratch on the wheels, rubbing them down may be sufficient. Deeper gashes in the wheels will need to be filled then sanded to a smooth finish. This is a process that is quite similar to body work repair performed on vehicles.

Alloy Wheel Refurbishing – The Painting Process

After the complete wheel has been smoothed in preparation for the alloy wheel refurb, a base coat is typically applied. This is normally a silver metallic paint. This is a delicate process and an even coat should be applied taking care that there are no runs or uneven areas.

The person painting will work their way around the wheel clockwise or anticlockwise way. When watching a professional do this process, you may note that they start at a set position (12 or 6 O’clock) and paint from the centre of the alloy wheel to the rim. Carrying on using this method they will apply paint until they are back to the starting point.

The whole alloy wheel refurbishment process is done quickly so that when the person applying the paint gets back to the starting point, the initial paint is still wet. This is very important for blending the work together so that the ending point is the same shade as the beginning point.

Alloy Wheel Repair – Why use a professional?

Alloy Wheel Refurbishment Specialist

In addition to needing to paint quite quickly, the process is also painstaking and skilled. The wheels are not simple round, flat surfaces. They are three dimensional objects and this often can create a problem for someone less experienced when it comes to ensuring and even covering of the entire alloy wheel. One of the usual problems in alloy wheel refurbishment is the paint running because it was applied unevenly in varying spots.

As you can appreciate, this will require a certain high skill level in order to ensure the wheels will end up having a smooth finish and having no drips or runs. Quite often, painters will use high powered infra-red lamps to help dry the base coat quickly. Once all the paint has been applied and you are happy with the results, a clear coat of lacquer is put on the wheel to help keep the paint looking great. This is the final step in alloy wheel repair.

Refurbishing your wheels can include the use of one or several colours. Cream, gold, satin black, metallic black, anthracite and metallic anthracite are just a few of the many colours from which you can choose. Of course, as mentioned the standard colours are usually the lowest priced (Silver, Black, White, Blues, Reds etc). Rather than the price of buying new wheels, alloy wheel refurb can be a good option answer to the improved appearance of your vehicle.